The Mavs won't play during the much-anticipated slate for the first time since 2019.
The Dallas Mavericks are 4-5 all-time in Christmas Day games. They won't add to that record this coming holiday season, as the NBA announced its five-game slate for the holiday on Tuesday morning.
It will be the Mavs' first Christmas without a game since 2019. Since then, the Mavs have gone 2-4 on the holiday this decade.
Here is a look at the 2026 Christmas Day schedule, with games broadcasted one after the other on ABC and ESPN.
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors.
Cooper Flagg's Christmas Debut Ended in a Loss
A year ago, Cooper Flagg's rookie season - and his assumption of the throne in Dallas after the disastrous Luka Doncic trade the season prior - was enough to gift the Mavs a spot. The trip to Golden State was also a return for Mavs sharpshooter Klay Thompson to the place where he won four championships.
But this year, even with Flagg uniting with a healthy Kyrie Irving and a crop of newcomers, the league formed a slate with plenty of storylines.
A rematch of the most recent Finals, a bout with two of the Eastern Conference's best, LeBron James' return to LA, young, explosive teams in the West and future Hall of Famers Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry present worthy contests across the board.
In 2025, Flagg led Dallas with 27 points in his holiday debut, but the Mavericks fell to the Warriors 126-116. Brandon Williams, who currently remains a free agent, scored 26 points off the bench for the Mavs, who were out-dueled by 23 points from Curry and a solid 64 bench points by the Dubs.
Luka Doncic's Last Mavs Game was Christmas 2024
Last year's defeat marked the second Christmas Day loss in a row for Dallas, which dates back, of course, to Doncic's final game in a Mavericks uniform.
Luka injured his calf in the 2024 game against the Timberwolves, forcing him to miss the next 19 games before he was traded to the Lakers on Feb. 1 the following year, with former general manager Nico Harrison citing Doncic's fitness level amid another stretch of injury absences.
Irving posted 39 points as Doncic ended with 14 points in 16 minutes of action before going down.
Last Christmas Day Absence in Flagg Era?
It's no secret that the NBA tries pinning marquee players, teams and rivalries on the holiday that is filled with nationally-televised slots and a history of high viewership.
That remains the case this season, but it's hard to figure that Dallas will be absent from very many Christmas games moving forward as long as Flagg continues to emerge.
The 2025-26 Rookie of the Year was the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists and steals in a season. Flagg's career-high of 51 points on April 3 made him the youngest player ever to hit the figure, and first ever rookie to surpass 50 in a single game.
Flagg will turn 20 years old just four days before Christmas. It is the mission of the Mavs' new front office duo, Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, to build a competitive team around the star forward.
That success could determined by whether Dallas is rewarded a regular spot on the Disney slate for years to come.
